Oil Industry on the Peninsula: Difference between revisions
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{{EW hero|portal=pen|kicker=[[:Category:Infrastructure|Infrastructure]]|emoji={{EW teaser/data|Oil Industry on the Peninsula|e}}|title=Oil Industry on the Peninsula|hook={{EW teaser/data|Oil Industry on the Peninsula}}|min=2}} | |||
'''The oil industry on the Santa Elena Peninsula''' is more than a century old. The peninsula holds Ecuador's first oil well, its second most important refinery and the national terminal for imported cooking gas. | '''The oil industry on the Santa Elena Peninsula''' is more than a century old. The peninsula holds Ecuador's first oil well, its second most important refinery and the national terminal for imported cooking gas. | ||
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== The refinery == | == The refinery == | ||
'''RefinerĂa La Libertad''' (Petroecuador) has three refining units processing about 45,000 barrels a day and has run for more than 50 years. It supplies Santa Elena, Guayas, part of ManabĂ and the GalĂĄpagos, and has its own seawater desalination plant. | '''RefinerĂa La Libertad''' (Petroecuador) has three refining units processing about 45,000 barrels a day and has run for more than 50 years. It supplies Santa Elena, Guayas, part of ManabĂ and the GalĂĄpagos, and has its own seawater desalination plant. | ||
{{EW dyk|emoji=đ§ď¸|âŚalmost all of the year's rain falls between January and April?|page=Natural Hazards on the Peninsula|cta=Rainy-season tips â}} | |||
== Pipelines and terminals == | == Pipelines and terminals == | ||
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''Sources: PDOT cantĂłn Santa Elena (pp. 24â30); PDOT Salinas 2023â2027 (pp. 112, 186â188); PDOT La Libertad 2024â2030 (pp. 47â50, 264); PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2015â2019 (p. 216) and 2019â2023 (pp. 92, 278â279).'' | ''Sources: PDOT cantĂłn Santa Elena (pp. 24â30); PDOT Salinas 2023â2027 (pp. 112, 186â188); PDOT La Libertad 2024â2030 (pp. 47â50, 264); PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2015â2019 (p. 216) and 2019â2023 (pp. 92, 278â279).'' | ||
{{EW explore|Ancon Heritage Site|La Libertad|How the Peninsula Works|Aeropuerto General Ulpiano PĂĄez|Electricity on the Peninsula|MontaĂąita}} | |||
{{EW next|Ancon}} | |||
[[Category:La Peninsula]] | [[Category:La Peninsula]] | ||
[[Category:Santa Elena Province]] | [[Category:Santa Elena Province]] | ||
[[Category:Infrastructure]] | [[Category:Infrastructure]] | ||
Latest revision as of 07:17, 22 October 2026
The oil industry on the Santa Elena Peninsula is more than a century old. The peninsula holds Ecuador's first oil well, its second most important refinery and the national terminal for imported cooking gas.
The oil field
The Gustavo Galindo Velasco block â the "AncĂłn block" â was discovered in 1911, when Ecuador's first oil well was drilled at AncĂłn.
| Period | Operator |
|---|---|
| 1921â1976 | Anglo Ecuadorian Oilfields (2,814 wells drilled) |
| 1976â1994 | CEPE, the state oil company |
| 1994â2001 | ESPOL with CompaĂąĂa General de Combustibles |
| 2001/02â | Pacifpetrol (contract extended to 2029) |
The block covers 1,200 km² (720 km² on land). Of its 2,882 wells, about 2,400 are in Santa Elena canton (Ancón, Prosperidad, El Tambo, Ballenita) and 242 in La Libertad. Most wells now need pumps or swabbing to produce. Pacifpetrol was the first company in Ecuador to run vehicles on natural gas from its own field. A smaller block at Pacoa has 48 wells.
The refinery
RefinerĂa La Libertad (Petroecuador) has three refining units processing about 45,000 barrels a day and has run for more than 50 years. It supplies Santa Elena, Guayas, part of ManabĂ and the GalĂĄpagos, and has its own seawater desalination plant.
Pipelines and terminals
- La LibertadâPascuales products pipeline to Guayaquil (about 70 km in the province).
- La LibertadâManta products pipeline (about 69 km in the province).
- About 43 km of field lines serve Salinas, AncĂłn and Atahualpa.
- La Libertad oil terminal: tankers run to and from Esmeraldas.
- Monteverde LPG terminal: receives imported cooking gas by ship and sends it through a 19 km pipeline that joins the Pascuales line. It cost USD 571 million.
Legacy
- 188 abandoned wells now lie inside populated areas. Municipal rules require 30 m clearance around wells and 15 m either side of pipelines.
- In Salinas, some informal settlements in JosĂŠ Luis Tamayo have been built over working wells and pipes.
- The state environmental repair programme (PRAS) records 246 spills and 26 formation-water pits in Atahualpa and AncĂłn; AncĂłn alone has 253 abandoned wells.
- Natural oil seeps occur in Santa Elena city and behind the Ecuasal salt ponds in Salinas.
See also
Sources: PDOT cantĂłn Santa Elena (pp. 24â30); PDOT Salinas 2023â2027 (pp. 112, 186â188); PDOT La Libertad 2024â2030 (pp. 47â50, 264); PDOT Provincia de Santa Elena 2015â2019 (p. 216) and 2019â2023 (pp. 92, 278â279).